Eden Hazard to Real Madrid? Would the Chelsea man be a good fit
Monday 3 April 2017 18:07, UK
Guillem Balague takes a statistical look at how Eden Hazard could fit in at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid are facing a crucial period on the pitch but attention is already turning to the transfer window.
It's shaping up to be a busy summer at the Santiago Bernabeu, but who's on the wanted list? As always, there are some big names in the mix.
Madrid are interested in goalkeepers David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois and they are keeping tabs on Monaco's Kylian Mbappe, Paulo Dybala of Juventus, and of course Eden Hazard.
Nothing is close to being done and the deal will not be easy to pull off, but Madrid hope to free up space in their squad not so much by selling Isco, who could renew his contract, but by selling James Rodriguez. In any case, it's easy to see why they are so keen on Hazard.
The Belgian has been the inspiration behind Chelsea's title charge under Antonio Conte. He has returned to his brilliant best after a difficult season last year.
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Madrid are not short of attacking talent, but this is how Florentino Perez's business model works. Buy the best players, then ask the coach to find a way to use them.
Hazard's numbers over the last four seasons do not quite match up to Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema's. As you can see, Real Madrid's BBC front three have all contributed more goals and assists since the 2013/14 season.
But Zinedine Zidane is already working on a plan to accommodate Hazard. The idea is for Ronaldo to play as Madrid's No 9, which would allow the Belgian to line up in his favoured position on the left flank or even play as the No 10.
That would also fit Benzema, as he likes to move around and links well with other players who do exactly that, so Madrid are confident they could keep all of their forwards happy.
While Hazard is not as prolific as Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale, the stats show he would bring something different to their attack.
One of his best attributes is undoubtedly his dribbling ability. Hazard has made five times as many successful dribbles as any of the BBC this season. In fact, his total of 121 is the highest in the Premier League and second only to Neymar in La Liga.
Hazard's ability to beat a man frequently makes the difference for Chelsea. Take his brilliant solo goal against Arsenal two months ago. He easily gets past Francis Coquelin, then turns Laurent Koscielny inside out before finishing past Petr Cech. It is easy to imagine him doing the same for a Madrid side that prefers to counterattack. Hazard would thrive with that space.
The dribbling is just the start. Hazard is known as a talented soloist with clinical finishing skills, but his ability as a provider can sometimes be overlooked.
This season he has created 57 scoring opportunities. It's nearly twice as many as either Bale, Benzema or Ronaldo. Even if you consider that he has made more appearances, his average of 2.3 chances created per 90 minutes is still far higher than any of Real Madrid's current forwards.
It's not just a recent trend either. Since the 2013/14 season, Hazard has created a whopping total of 316 chances. It's considerably more than any of the BBC. Bale's total, by contrast, is almost half that amount.
In short, Hazard ticks all the boxes for Real Madrid. The Belgian is a world star who would add a new dimension to their attack. Now it just remains to be seen whether they can persuade Chelsea to do business instead of renewing his contract, which they are working hard to achieve.
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